Hello WhIM Class!
I hope you are having a good weekend. I am at Power Shift 2007 and it is very exciting to be here. I wanted to give you all a little bit more to think about before we talk about my project this Friday and then after Friday I think I will put up another blog if people want to share their thoughts again. I am going to give you some more Canibus lyrics and ask some specific questions. This post asks general questions about the songs and gives general information. I will make other posts that will give specific information on the specific songs.
*******IMPORTANT*******
I ask you to please listen to your song once before reading this post, then resopond to the questions and read the post. Do this before Friday. After Friday I will ask you to listen to the song again, to write your response this time around, and put them in the post specifically about your song.
*******QUESTIONS*******
Please refer to the song that you listened to.
1. Do you normally listen to hip-hop music? Specifically underground hip-hop?
2. Would you listen to this song again/not for the assignment?
3. When you were listening to the song, describe what you imagined? Did you visually see the thing that Canibus was talking about - give a specific example? Did you think about the things he was talking about and try to connect them and unpack them, or just keep up with the song - give an example?
4. When you were listening to the song, how did you relate to it? Did you empathize with Canibus, i.e. try to imagine things from his perspective? Did you listen to the song from the perspective of the "you" that Canibus speaks to, whether this is an enemy emcee, or fans of hip-hop, or just people in general? Can you think of a specific time that Canibus was speaking to "you" in the song and if you felt like he was really speaking to you or to someone else?
5. Did you notice any mathematical elements in the songs? Were you impressed by Canibus's knowledge of places, people, theories etc.? Did this make you think differently about the potential of hip-hop music? Did these various references mean anything to you? Pick a specific one that did and explain how you reacted when hearing it or perhaps when finding out later what it meant. Do you think that the complexity of Canibus's lyrics helped get his message across?
6. What part of Canibus's song did you really dislike? Describe why and how it made you feel to hear him saying something that you thought was wrong.
7. From my first presentation, your first reactions, and your answers to these questions describe Canibus as an emcee to someone who has never listened to him. Do you think Canibus has a stronger sense of Ego or Self? How does he express elements of each in his lyrics (give an example). What do you think the relationship is between reality and fantasy in the songs? Do you think Canibus could be a leader, a teacher or a hero in the hip-hop world, in real life? Describe what kind of person you think Canibus is.
Thank you! Please read the background info, there are a few more questions in the last part of this post.
*******Background Info*******
The Law of Three - States that everything consists of three basic parts. For instance mind/body/soul or mind/body/emotion. The Holy Trinity or the executive/judiciary/legislative branches.Canibus assumes three main personas in his songs.
I. 'Bis - Bis is short for Cannabis, which is the origin of Canibus's name. Bis was the name Canibus used before the fallout with LL Cool J.
II. Rip the Jacker - Rip the Jacker became another one of aliases during his battle with LL. Jack the Ripper (the infamous serial killer who murdered prostitutes) was the title of a song on one of LL's previous albums. Rip the Jacker was Canibus's idea of a clever play on that name. It first appeared on Canibus's song "Rip the Jacker" the song starts out - Calling all dogs, calling all dogs, be on the lookout for a big homo nigga with dimples and I'ma let ya'll know something, it ain't just start here we've been playing on that ass since Jack The Ripper and now it's time to Rip the Jacker. This is saying that 'Bis had been better than LL since he was making his earlier, more simplistic music, like the album on which Jack the Ripper appears, but now he's going to take LL to war.
III. Germaine Williams - Canibus's real name. The importance of this name to him is that once he joined the military he was no longer 'Bis or Rip the Jacker or Canibus. He was referred to by his government name, as Private Williams, just like all of the other soldiers. Canibus has always prided himself on being more connected to his fans than other rappers and he talked about this being part of the reason he joined the military. He also sometimes calls himself St. Germain - see this article http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/iam.html.
The Law of Seven - http://www.rahul.net/raithel/otfw/93article.html From what I've read the law of seven states that things do not happen in a strictly linear progressive manner as we assume they do, when dealing with chronological history, for example. I haven't delved very deep into this subject, however. Seven has always been a sacred number for humanity - as with the seven day week, in Jewish mysticism etc.
Canibus's writing style may seem abstract, and without any traditional form. He talks about this in a few songs, for instance in the outro of Poet Laureate II James Dickey says "Usually I go with the given, with what comes to you over the celestial wireless, you're lucky when you get it" and in that song he says "In the words of Joseph Heller, I learned how to write better/ Even though it sorta irked me, he said he didn't understand the process / of the imagination but he felt he was at its mercy".
8. How do you think that this writing process effects the finished product? What do you like about this style and what do you think it lacks?
I was reading a book about superheroes and philosophy and it talks about how as a young boy Clark Kent (secret identity of Superman) feels that he lacks a sense of community and that this is why he becomes Superman. I will share a few quotes that outline this idea.
"It is fair to presume that despite his extraterrestrial origins, Superman feels the same basic need for community that is shared by all the human beings around him; it not, he most likely wouldn't bother being Clark Kent at all and would just as soon soar off to explore the greater solar system and galaxies beyond than work a nine-to-five in metropolis"
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure."
"How does Superman connect with the world around him? Not by turning his back on his alien heritage, though that was certainly his instinct while he was growing up in a small town. NO, he ultimately connects by embracing that heritage-by creating as an adult a new identity for himself that is as Kryptonian as Clark Kent is human. Superman knowns instinctively that it is only when he puts his gifts to use that he truly feels alive and engaged."
"Only by being openly Kryptonian can he also be an Earthman with exuberance and excellence. When he lives as who he really is, in full authenticity to his nature and gifts, and then brings his distinctive strengths into the service of others, he takes his rightful place in the larger community, in which he now genuinely belongs to and can feel fulfilled."
"Superman has...been a shining example...of the virtue of selfless heroism-but he has accomplished this by acting in his own self interest."
9. What connections do you see between the Sueprman paradox described in these quotes and Canibus? Does this change the way you would answer question 7?
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12 comments:
i do listen to rap and hip hop sometimes, and generally i think the underground has more substance. I like that he covers so many landmarks in history (master thesis). Stylistically, I think his lyrics are skillful but the music should have had more variation. He came in with a new layer of percussion partway in, and then didn't introduce anything new for the majority of the song, that made me sad. But judging by his quotes it seems like he has thought deeply about the creative process and what his role as an artist should be. It's pretty interesting that he is talking about rebuilding rome, but possibly using it to represent Iraq, and why young men go away to war. Then he uses a lot of his airtime to boost his own image, talking about his rhymes the size of a tylenol pill and hooking up with a girl named ginger (was that random or was it supposed to tie into the otherwise political theme?). i understand that this is what most rappers do, but as a listener i just don't really feel invested in which rapper is better, and i think rappers undermine the art when they spend a lot of time self praising, or doing battles. I have more to say but I have to run to spanish, but I'd like to hear what other people thought.
I asked the class which song to listen to by Canibus and I was told to listen to "Master Thesis" however this is different from the poem you emailed the class but I am not familiar with the title of the poem unless it's "Poet Lureat II"? The answers that follow are directed towards "Master Thesis" and I apologize if that was not the right song, if this is the case please let me know and I would be more than happy to redo them for your project.
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1) I usually don't listen to hip-hop unless it's off the radio and I can dance to it. The lyrics never really appealed to me to be perfectly frank. I wouldn't know if I had ever listened to underground hip-hop, so I'm assuming that I've never heard it before.
2) I might listen to the song again. At first his voice seemed a bit grating but after the first 30 seconds I settled in and got more in touch with the way he was rhyming.
3) The first time I listened to the song I was more preoccupied with keeping up with reading the words but the second time around I did get a few visuals with his words. EXAMPLE: "Atlantis was surrounding by four sea walls." I don't know why but this caught my ear because it sounds like something obvious but he took the time to put it into his song so it has a deeper meaning then what I first thought. I didn't imagine an endless ocean with the lost city, I imagined it being boxed in, and not necessarily lost but submerged. "He said he had a contract to rebuild Rome..." the entire stream of lines where he talks about rebuidling Rome but not having enough "dough" and that the process was "slow" made me chuckle because it was an interesting idea entwined with the song. The song at first seems to be about him but then he goes into greater detail about the rest of civilization and how he's connected to even the most remote parts. He also does not try to make himself stand out as to say "I" am connected because towards the end he empahsizes that he's just a man and that projects the idea that we are all connected and we could all experience the same things that he raps about.
4) When I first listened to the song I felt very lost because I didn't fully understand what he was talking about. He also used a very extensive vocabulary that at first sounded like babble but the second/third time listenin to the song it started to make sense to me. I could understand where he was coming from especially after reading the background info you provided. My perspecitve was that he was trying to implore others to take a stand and not necessarily become "mc's" but he wanted to encourage others to get their ideas out into the world as he did. When he was directing his statements towards the record label and college students I felt the impression that he had faced a great deal of criticism but after listenin to this song I can't imagine them having any grounds to discredit him. Especially when he says "Listen to my chest beat, tell me this ain't heart".
5)I noticed him talk about wanting to learn more about the Shapes of Sacred Geometry. I was completely blown away by all of his references to historical events and his mastery of language and vocabulary. I know that certain hip-hop is inspirational and deep but it doesn't get out into the mainstream which is why so many people receive a negative view of hip-hop. I did not doubt that there are some people out there such as Canibus who can take this type of music seriously, it's just a rare occurence. The reference of carving the shapes of Sacred Geometry into Egyptian gold, and so on and so forth stood out a lot to me because he kept giving more details that connected and flowed together while still managing to put his subtle twist on it, "They cooked on symmetrical stoves
with my logo etched above the hole-". I think that the way he approached his audience might at first alienate them because it sounds a bit like nonsense but if the listener takes the time to understand and appreicate what he's saying then his message comes across quite clear.
6) I didn't really enjoy him talking about the case of scaphocephalous, and then he proceeded to talk about the symptoms and ways to cure it and that's where his rhymes got really intense and it wasn't something I wanted to listen. I can't say that he was wron because it's his song, his opinion, it's just that I didn't really like that part of his song.
7) I would describe Canibus as an englightened individual who uses a complex vocabulary to express his personal views about his place in the world and worlds past. I would like to think that Canibus has a strong sense of his Self, however noting the fact that he uses three different names for himself as you stated in the background info I can't help but wonder if only one part of his personality is close to the self and the rest are submerged in the ego. When Canibus refers to himself as "Bis" I can't really make a distinction as to whether he is refering to his ego or his Self. My best argument would be that he is refering to his Self because he says the "Best of Bis oftenly rearrange..." which comes across to me as being the Self since it is inherently the best part of him. Canibus combines realistic events to fantastical modern ideas. He uses hyperboles and metaphors to dramatize the images in his song. I think that Canibus could be a revolutionary in the hip-hop world if his work was more well known. He has interesting ideas and conveys them in a sophisticated and asthetically appealing way so he should not have a problem passing his message along.
8) I think his writing process flows very well. He is able to develop main ideas in his song and connect them using one word to drive focus onto a different set of principles and ideas. However I feel that some of his rhymes seem forced or simple but his impressive vocabulary makes up for it.
9) Canibus is giving back to his community by rapping. He is only try to improve the world the best way he knows how. I wouldn't necessarily compare him to Superman but the quotes can apply to him and his work.
MASTER THESIS:
1)I do listen to a fair amount of hip-hop but mostly contemporary hip-hop which now adays lacks the intelligence and rhyming that I feel Canibus portrayed.
2) I would listen to this song again wihtout an assignment because i felt the beat was pretty good but the lyrics intrigued me into looking into more depth on their meaning.
3)I agree with ashton in how the first time you listen to it you can get a little confused, and i feel a lot of that has to do with the complexity of the rhyming and the meaning behind it. What stuck out to me the most was "They cooked on symmetrical stoves
with my logo etched above the hole where they inserted the coal
And they barbecued birds to the bone
An' They burned incense in a Buckminster Fuller type dome". I could really picture what he was saying an it kind of had me intriguesd on whatr exactly a Buckminster FUller dome was and who HE was.
4)I kind of got that especially with the disciple reference at the end, he was refferring to the you as hip hop fans in the end of the Matser Thesis. There was no real specific point that i could really relate to in the song.
5)I definitelly noticed mathematical elemnts in the song, and it was the quote i mentioned in question 3 about symmettry and a Buckminster fuller type dome. I wikipedia'd Fuller and He worked in the development of numerous inventions, chiefly in the fields of design and architecture, the best known of which is the geodesic dome. This geodesic dome is the exact model you see when you go to EPCOT in Florida (That big Silver Ball). The cool thing about the geodesic dome is that it is the only man-made structure that becomes proportionally stronger as it increases in size due to the triangular patterns.
6)I disliked when he strayed away a little bit from his intelligent comments and went to a more derogatory approach with things like "I set sail and hunt down erect Sperm Whales
use the aphrodisiac to get a female
called ginger tie her up and drink her ginger ale", though maybe i am not looking deep enough into what he is saying. I just wasn't a fan of that.
7)I guess you could say that when he says "What I say vibrates no less than 9 ways
South, South East, West, South West, East
North, North East, North West" he is asserting that all people from all directions listen to what he says, which in my mind is a sense of ego and self. I think Canibus could be a teacher but more directed to teaching the hip-hop artists of today. Teach them to find more meaning in what they say instead of trhowing together a couple of half-assed rhymes with a good dance beat (cough* Kanye West cough*).
8) I really liked the way his rhyming flowed and I feel that from verse to verse he was not only geting his point accross intelligently but doing it in style, and I'm not sure it lacks anything.
9) You could say the superman paradox relates to Canibus because he like superman expresses himself through another form. Clark Kent expresses himself through the acts of superman, and Germaine Williams expresses himself through the fhymes of Canibus.
JENNIFER GENOVA
1. Well, I do enjoy all forms of music, but I have to say that I listen to very little hip-hop. I did like Canibus, however.
2. I didn’t mind it. It is on my iPod now, so I will probably listen to it.
3. I was trying to wrap my head around exactly what he was saying in Master Thesis. I got the feeling that the song was designed to tell us exactly what Canibus was about as a rapper and why rap listeners should appreciate what he says and see it as legitimate.
4. I felt that Canibus was attempting to establish his legitimacy as an emcee to an audience that may or may not have considered him legitimate. I feel like he was speaking primarily to a group of people he needs to prove himself to. I did not feel specifically that he was speaking to me, but I did feel as though he was speaking to a general audience of listeners.
5. I did not notice a specifically mathematical element to his music, but I did notice a particularly historical element to his music. He is engaging in a process that many historical rulers have engaged in where he puts himself in line with many historical events and places that were considered as great as he wants people to consider him to be.
6. There really wasn’t part of the song that I didn’t like. I actually thought his lyrical style was pretty good. This might be because of my appreciation for his myriad of historical references, but there isn’t anything about the song that offended me.
7.I think that I would describe Canibus as a rapper with the expected ego and arrogance who attempted to become a mainstream star, and when he didn’t, turned to a more underground form of hip-hop. He clearly has a sense of self that is probably hyper accentuated due to his position as a rapper challenging a reigning superstar. He expresses his sense of self often, talking about how he learned at the Library of Alexandria (meaning that he is intelligent) and how he has the best lyrical style around, etc. etc. I think that
8. I like his style, but I didn’t really see a hook or something that I could latch onto as a sporadic listener of rap who doesn’t really care about battles or master emcees. I think that this process gives a much more heartfelt and ‘deeper’ lyrical styling more so than a “In da club” or perhaps “Lip Gloss Song”.
Song: Poet Lureat II
1) I listen to a lot of rappers on the Rhymesayers label, but other than that, I dont listen to a ton of hip-hop
2) I dont know if I would put it on, if my itunes shuffle played it I wouldnt turn it off.
3)I There were some very visual parts of the song one that stuck out for me was:
"Alone in my room, looking thru the 32X telescope zoom, adjusting the focus of the moon
One should not assume the philosophy of David Hume, is nothing more then a subjective conclusion"
This just made me thing of someone sitting by their window on a clear starry night in front of a lake, starring out a telescope with a full moon in the sky.
4) I feel like throughout this entire song Canibus is talking in general to hip-fans and except for certain select moments when he singles out someone specifically like LL Cool J or Alicia Keys. I didnt really relate to the times that he was speakiing to everyone, all he seemed to rap about was how hip-hop was going downhill and that it was our fault for not listening to his record.
"From an extroverted point of view I think its too late
Hip Hop has never been the same since '88
Since it became a lucrative profession there's a misconception
that a movement in any direction is progression
Even though of the potency of it lessens
big money industries writing checks to suppress "
5) I noticed he used a lot of big theories, but they did not mean anything to me personally. It doesnt make me think any different of the potential of hip-hop music, because any form of music can be used to convey any message.
"What is the maximum field rate application?
the run away glaciation surrounding the ocean basin, affects the population fluctuation
on a continuous basis but that's just the basics"
I think rhyme complexity is great to have but sometimes it can get very confusing.
6) I dislike the end when he was talking about where hip hop was moving. I've already quoted this part of the song in a previous question, but it is an area that really stood out to me. I believe it is true that hip-hop isnt moving forward fast, but it is not because the public doesnt listen to Canibus.
7) I think Canibus has a huge ego based only on this song. The entire song is him trying to use complex verses telling everyone to listen to his music because he one of the best rappers ever.
"He was the illest alive but nobody would face it
he spit till his toungue was too torched to taste, it
properly funded corporations carbon-dated his latest creations, to extract the information
They found it utterly amazing, they claimed the body of his work was the same thing as a priceless painting"
Based on this song I wouldnt want him to be a teacher in the hip-hop world, because while he is good he doesnt seem to have himself together as far as being progessive in his songs. I think he is a very cocky pretty good rapper who is full of himself.
I listened to Magnum Innominandum
1. No. I'm not into hip hop. I assume that since underground hip hop has hip hop in the name that it's in the same musical category, so generally, I'd pass on that.
2. Nope. I'm not fond of hip hop, underground or otherwise, and this song didn't suit my musical palate.
3. I was working too hard while listening to the song just to pick out words and be able to understand what was being said to actually visualize anything. To me, the song was primarily words strung together that I had to keep up with.
4. Again, I was fighting just to understand what was being said and keep up. I really didn't catch any message he might have had.
5. Once more, the complexities of his lyrics were lost on me, as I was unable to follow his thoughts.
6. I didn't particularly care for the harsh language in the second half of the song. While I didn't really get into it ever, I found the first half to be tolerable, but when he started using harsh language, I tuned out pretty much completely.
7. From my first impressions, I got a more selfless impression from the first half of the song, but felt more ego influence in the second half. Again, these are just my impressions, based on what lyrics I could discern. He seems to me like the type of person who fights for a noble cause, but does so in his own self interest. I'm reminded of the play Tartuffe my Molierre. The title character flaunts false piety throughout the play in order to swindle his way to greater gains.
8. His writing style was tough to follow and I don't think I really have any idea what he was trying to say with the song as a whole.
9. Not really... I see the obvious connection in that they both fight noble fights for selfish reasons... But at the same time, Canibus wants to protect an industry and his income, whereas Superman is protecting society and his only real gain in doing so is personal belonging and satisfaction. Does anybody pay Superman to save people?
1.I do listen to hip hop, but not extensively. I enjoy indie artists and underground hip hop more because it's not the same old thing you get on the radio all the time. They're actually trying to say something.
2. I didn't dislike the song, but i don't think it will be on normal itunes rotation for me. I found it to be an interesting and intelligent poem but not a great song. The beat didn't keep my attention very long. It became monotonous.
3. Caniubus introduced an enormous amount of material in one song. For the most part, I was just trying to keep up with the song and lyrics. But i went back and listened to it again with the lyrics and began to make visual connections. What stuck out to me the most was that he was trying to set himself apart from other rappers by boosting himself up, above them. However he uses a lot of the same material other rappers do like violence and derogatory terms for women.
4. It was difficult for me to empathize with Canibus because he comes across as so conceited in his lyrics, boasting to be such a great , cutting edge artist. I don't disagree that he's intelligent and talented, but i don't enjoy egotistical writing.He addresses me, the audience specifically with "which exploits my point perfectly and certainly reinforces
the reason why nobody's probably ever heard of me". It seems like he was speaking to me here slightly, by trying to explain to an entire audience why they've never heard of him.
5. I noticed the mention of several mathematical theories and theorists. He talks about symmetry and the galaxies which convey infinity to me.
6. I was put off the most by the somewhat uneccesary use of the words " bitches",and "broads". I get that female degradation has just become "acceptable" in hip hop. But it especially bothered me because Canibus is talking about how he doesn't follow the same trends as other rappers and how intelligent he is, but then he goes and resorts to common and overused phrases like "bitches". It doesn't help get a point across, it's just treating women like objects.
7. I perceived Canibus has having a strong sense of self as well as a strong ego. He has confidence in himself and the things that he has accomplished in his life. However, he also claims to be such a fantastic rapper and he finds scapegoat reasons for why he isn't better known.
8. I think that his writing process keeps the listener interested. Since there's no hook or chorus, the whole song is meant to be taken as important. Although he used longer and difficult words, Canibus was able to successfully string them together to make great rhymes. None of the words seemed out of place just for rhyme sake.
Magnum Innominandum
1. I listen to almost everything, including some hip-hop, though not exstensively. I've listened to some underground, and really liked Aesop Rock and Atmosphere when I saw them live, and have listened to them since.
2. I honestly was not crazy about the song. I liked the lyrics but had to look them up to realize that I did like them!
3. I saw some images form, like when he says that his heart is his brain. I had trouble keeping up, but I did recognize Christ imagery as well.
4. Some of the lyrics felt specifically addressed to hip hop fans and people who were aware of his own emcee drama. I liked some of the lyrics about not being able to save another person but being able to save oneself, and felt that I could relate to that concept. It is, I would assume, a very universal topic.
5. He does mention zero gravity, which is essentially free-falling, which can in theory exist but does not in our solar system. Also, the title is translated from latin to mean "great not-to-be-named" in english. I just thought that this could allude to a lot of things, including some mathematical concepts such as pi such it can't be delineated precisely.
6. I didn't like some of the later lyrics, in which he says things like "shot the bitch in the head" etc etc. I wasn't sure if he was talking about an actual woman, but thought maybe it was about a topic that was given a feminine gender. Even if it was alleghorical, the allusion to a woman as a bitch aggrevated me, and thought fit in with the overall misogynistic current rap scene.
7. In the first part, I thought he was reaching out more to others and talking about more universal concepts. there was more of a sense of self and wanting to connect to others. Later, he catagorizes himself with other good rappers and there is a sense of Ego. The misogynistic lyrics are also in the second half, which go along with the idea of the Ego.
8. His writing does seem more discursive than many lyrics I've seen, but I think it works well with the title of the song-ie a a lot of it is "great" but cannot be pinned exactly or named.
9. He actually mentions this concept in the song. He says that in acting in his own self interest, by rapping, he can hint at the "world's kryptonite." I think this means that Canibus openly addresses things most of the world doesn't want to admit or openly address. But, once again, these are his only words. Could this be the Ego speaking? It is hard for me to trust what people say about themselves sometimes. I think this would make me reevaluate my answer for 7 because maybe some of the Ego is speaking all along, which I didn't originally assert.
1. A little bit.
2. Probably not.
3. I couldn’t really find a visual for it (master thesis). I think it would’ve been more distracting for my to try and imagine the constant metaphors. I just tried to listen.
4. I connected with a few moments in Master Thesis. I especially liked the moments where Canibus refers to education, like not using words he can’t spell - because there are so many different ways of becoming educated - the word itself is so relative. What is education? Who has the authority to determine what knowledge is valuable? I enjoyed the very last bit of the song for similar reasons - the bit that says “you aint smart” “this aint art”. Again, there’s this idea of judgement, this sense of right and wrong good and bad. Where does this come from?
5.I guess all music is related to math. The beat itself is math- it is a pattern.
6. There was no part of Master Thesis that I particularly disliked.
7. I think that Canibus could definitely be a leader in the hip hop community. He seems very aware of social barriers that need to be overcome and has a drive to educate others about the change he wants to see through his art.
8. I think that the process is everything. Having a final product in mind can be motivating, but it can also be stifling. Allowing the process to mold the outcome allows for more freedom in any art and a lot of the time, the final product is more meaningful because of what happened along the way,
9. Canibus clearly feels separated from his community. A lot of artists are drawn to what they do because art is way of communicating with the masses. It is a way to express individuality and unify at the same time; offering criticism and progressive suggestions to an audience while drawing the outside in.
1. I do listen to hip-hop very frequently, with a good majority of it being from underground labels. It's the only real place you can find true hip-hop any more.
2. Canibus isn't my favorite, but I would listen again.
3. It was a tough song to keep u with and it really helped to have the lyrics there as well. I thought I got a good sense of what he was talking about, but to me it just sounded like a rant about how he thinks he is the best, but nobody understands him. He seems to understand how the market works, and how hip-hop hasn't been the same, but doesn't work to make it right. It doesn't matter if you are the best lyricist if no one can hear you or cares about what you are saying.
4. He did however make it easy to for the listener to see where he was coming from. I looked at coming from the perspective of the MC. Someone who is obviously frustrated with the state of things, and gives many reasons for their frustration. The whole time I felt pretty separated from the MC.
5. I feel like his knowledge of places and events were just used to create certain punchlines and make clever rhymes. For example:
And nobody gives a fuck no more, no one goes to the book store
ever since the confluence of Moore's Law
But I stay in the lab, like Niels Bohr
and his son Aage, Edward Lorenz and Leo Szilard
Lyrically I took rap music and turned the knob
It feels like he's just putting in references to prove he's an intellectual.
6. See 5
7. I see Canibus as a person with a purpose, but I think it is the wrong person. I think he is more worried about people liking him, then the work that he puts out. I think he believes that nobody is on his level, which just isn't true. He spits a lot of rhetoric in my opinion, without bringing up anything new or interesting to the table. It just doesn't seem groundbreaking, fresh, interesting, or controversial.
8. I have very mixed feelings about Canibus's style. Things are very difficult to pick up at first listen and it definitely helped to have the lyrics there. I think that it helps him though. If he is trying to be the best lyricist, I guess its best to ave lyrically focused songs.
I would say hiphop is definitly my favorite genre of music. I like underground hip hop the most and I find that is what category I would put Canibus in. I've listened to Canibus for probably the last 5 years. I wouldn't say he's one of my favorite artists but I believe he has a lot of talent. His lyrics and ideas are very creative and unique which i like. I also believe he is one of the most talented freestlye artists out.
I listened to all of the songs and I really liked Poet Laureate 2. This song really shows his talent, he flows for about 8 minuetes without a chorus for a break. I like how the beat shifts about 5 (maybe more) times throughout the songs.
I always motivated by you, your thoughts and way of thinking, again, thanks for this nice post.
- Norman
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